Laura Drysdale

The Apprentice candidate Joanna Jarjue avoided being grilled by Lord Sugar in the boardroom on her first appearance on the show last night.

The 23-year-old who grew up in Lupset, Wakefield was on women's team Graphene for the first task of the series, which saw the 18 candidates make and sell their own burgers.

The ladies, who flogged 'luxurious' beef and turkey burgers in Canary Wharf, brought in a profit of more than £200.

And, with male team rivals Vitality coming in at a loss, the women avoided a grilling in the boardroom from Lord Sugar, as he decided who would be the first person to get booted out of the competition.

It may have been a bullet dodged for former Pontefract New College student Miss Jarjue, who was criticised by Lord Sugar's aide Baroness Karren Brady for going in with a low starting price as she tried to sell off the remaining packs of burgers towards the end of the task.

Asked on Twitter why she did it, Miss Jarjue replied: "Was last 15 mins n last sale of the day and we still had 60 burgers left so sold them all off @ half price. Whoops? #theapprentice."

Online retail store owner Danny Grant, who led the men's team, became the first candidate to be fired this year.

Meanwhile Miss Jarjue said she couldn't wait for next week, adding "It just gets better and better".